July 26, 2010

I realize these might not be as funny to you as they are to me, and I might not be able to write the story as well as I could tell it - but I'm sharing them anyway.

Clover has learned to prolong bedtime by asking for some water, or milk, or cereal, or goldfish - or really, anything she can think of. I usually say something like "no, no goldfish, it's time for bed, you can have some goldfish tomorrow" and she leaves it at that. Sometimes though, I can tell she's really thirsty when she repeatedly asks for some milk after about a 15 minute span, so I'll yell out "Dustin" (who is usually sitting in the living room) and ask him to bring Clover some milk. About a week ago, she decided to skip the middle man (me) and just yelled out "DUSTIN!!! MILK!"

The other day I asked Clover what her name was, (to which she normally pats herself on the chest and says "Clo Clo") and she smiled and said "Princess"

With a very serious look on her face, Clover will wave her finger in the air and shout "RIGHT BACK! Bye!"and leave the room.

The other day, Dustin was sitting on the floor playing with Clover and she was standing next to him. All of a sudden he passed gas and she jumped in front of him, pointed down (towards where the "toot" came from) and said "oh! poop!!"

July 20, 2010

My best friend, Jessika, was due on July 10th with her first baby boy. Well, July 10th came!...and went. No baby. Finally, on July 16th Jessika was sent to the hospital to be induced, because of low amniotic fluid, and Mr. Hudson made his grand appearance at 11:06 am Saturday, July 17th.

Here are a few pictures of all 8.8lbs, 20 inches of him! He is absolutely adorable!

July 15, 2010

One of the things I admire most about kids is their quickness to make friends. Clover can be anywhere, see a kid her age, and instantly they’re friends. Half the time she sees Layne, there’s no “Hi Layne!” “Hi Clover!” they just walk right up to each other and start holding hands. They skip the unnecessary opening lines and just jump right into playing together. I love it.

My best friend, Jessika, and I became friends in a similar way and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the first year our little brothers played baseball and Jon had been invited to play on the traveling all star team. My Mom kept telling me that the coach of the all star team had a daughter my age. So one game, I saw her playing by the water fountain with her other brother. I walked up said “Hi, my Mom said we should be friends”, she shrugged and said “okay!” and literally, we’ve been friends every since. At least 20 years of friendship started like that.

Jon and I loved hanging out with Jessika and her two brothers, Tyler and Sonny. Jon and Tyler are the same age, Jessika and I are a month and five days apart, and Sonny is in between the four of us. So, we all got along great.

Eventually, we went to different high schools and the boys stopped playing baseball together. Jon quit playing after high school, but Tyler kept going full force. He now catches for the Chicago White Sox on their Triple-A minor league team, the Charlotte Knights (in other words, the level right below the majors).

Last weekend the Charlotte Knights played the Gwinnett Braves, and we got to go watch Tyler play! He scored 2 runs, 1 of which was a home run, and they beat the Braves! It was so much fun watching him play and I was so proud of him!

This was Clover’s 1st baseball game, and she really enjoyed the french fries, the Gwinnett Bear, saying “go Tyler!” and the bear and giant finger Daddy bought her!

The Home Run Hit:

Jessi will be so mad at me for posting this picture, but seriously, how cute is her little belly??

(btw, she is 5 days overdue and being induced Sunday! Can't WAIT to meet Hudson!)

July 10, 2010

Apprehension:
So I finally took the plunge and networked my blog with facebook. I’ve been tempted to do this a couple of time, but then stopped, because the apprehension of advertising my blog and anyone reading it (some of my inner-most feelings) scared me. I’m not the type of person to jump right out there and express my opinions. I don’t talk politics, religion, race or any sort of “sensitive” subjects with most people. I hate feeling judged and would be horrified if someone judged me based on a quick statement out of my mouth about President Obama or Christianity. However, when I find someone who shares a certain view that I do, I get really excited and will pretty much talk their ear off about it.

My blog is where I share those opinions and it leaves me feeling refreshed, yet exposed and vulnerable. What if I offend someone who reads it? What if someone judges me because I am such a breastfeeding advocate (in my personal life) that they are scared to talk to me because they think breastfeeding is gross?

If that ever happens, I’m sorry.

I’m a very open-minded person. I really try not to judge people that are different than me. Please don’t be offended by my opinions – but this is one of the only places I will share them (unless you agree with me).

Insanity:
I feel like in my last couple of blogs that I make motherhood sound like a fairytale. I only express how amazing it is, and how much I love it. I want to let you know a few secrets. Sometimes, I feel like I am going to have a psychotic breakdown. Sometimes, I get so frustrated with Clover that it scares me. Sometimes, I repeat the part in “I’ll Love You Forever” when it says “Sometimes his mother would say, ‘this kid is driving me crazy!’” in my head and can absolutely relate. Oftentimes, I lose my patience.

But the point is that I love her. She is my world. And I will take the bad over nothing any day.

July 09, 2010

I was cleaning the kitchen tonight and heard Clover saying “waalk-ing shoes” over and over again…so I turned around and found this:

She had put my “walking shoes” on by herself (and on the right feet, I might add) and thought she was hot stuff. She walked up and down the hallway chanting “walking shoes” and laughing.

That’s my 20 month old.

I really can’t express what an amazing little girl is. Every day is different. Every day she leaves me awestruck by a new development. I have a note in my phone entitled “Clover-isms” so I can remember all the goofy little things she does.

Here are a few recent ones:

Yesterday, we were leaving the bank and a guy was blocking me, so I mumbled, “Can’t see buddy!” and heard Clover in the backseat saying “can’t see ohhh buddy!”

Then today (we are house-sitting for my Dad), my Dad’s dog barked in the middle of her nap. She woke up, sat up, said “shh” with a very serious look on her face, and then laid back down and went back to sleep!

Then later this evening, she was getting tired and wanted me to hold her. Instead of saying “hold you Momma” or “up” like she normally does, she put her arms up and said “eat you Momma.”

She’s so much fun to be around. Even on days (like today) when she tests me so badly and pushes me right to the point of wanting to scream (like playing in the dog’s water bowls or climbing up on the dining room chair and trying to stand up – both of which, she did several times today.)

Her new favorite songs: (I’m ashamed to admit) she loves Usher’s OMG and likes to sing along… She also loves the Happy Birthday song and says “Happy, to you” while bobbing her head.

She loves loves loves the pool. On a daily basis she goes and gets our pool bag, gets our sunscreen out and bathing suits, brings them to me and says “swim!” She also likes to jump in the pool, and actually goes under water! She is such a water baby.

Her favorite animals at the zoo are the giraffes.

She has some pretty sweet dance moves.

She loves Curious George.

She peed in the potty for the first time! She also really enjoys randomly taking all her clothes off, including her diaper, and running around naked. She gets really mad if you try to put her diaper back on.

She saw her first movie, Toy Story 3, in the movie theater.

She is now obsessed with Ava’s Woody doll and says “looody” We bought her a small Jessie doll in hopes that she won’t be too depressed once we leave my Dad’s house and Ava’s Woody doll stays. She loves Jessie and sleeps with her every night now.

She can count to 10 (although she usually skips the number 1 and starts with 2) and can sing most of the ABC’s.

July 07, 2010

When I was little my Mom told me she twirled the baton in the circus. She didn’t just come right out and say “hey guys, I twirled the baton in the circus!” It was probably more like a quick response to a series of questions I was firing at her and she answered with “because I was in the circus” - to which I’m sure I didn’t just accept the response and let it go… I’m almost positive I asked another series of questions which led to an exasperated response of, “yes, I twirled the baton in the circus!”

Needless to say, I believed that my Mom twirled the baton in the circus, and literally told everyone I knew, until I was 12. The only reason I stopped when I was 12 was because my Mom happened to be in my presence when I was telling someone about her astounding past and said, “No I didn’t!”

Reflecting back on my Mom’s storytelling days, I may consider telling Clover that I too was in the circus; because let me just express how much of a balancing act motherhood can be.

In case you don’t already know by now, I’m about as hands-on as a Mom as they come. I still rock my 20 month old to sleep at night, she still sleeps with me, my Mom has babysat her a total of 2 times (and has been her only babysitter) and I breastfed her until she was almost 18 months old. Sure, to some parents that might sound like a lot of work. And sometimes it really is. But more importantly, in my opinion, it’s called being a parent. I’m not saying you need to be 100% attached to your child at all times to be a good parent, and I’m not saying that I am so attached to my daughter that I don’t trust anyone else to watch her, or feel like I don't need time apart from her and her from me. What I’m trying to express is how much I truly enjoy being with her, 99% of the time (it’s not always peaches and cream).

I’ve always enjoyed my space, my alone time, being by myself. Yes, I’m an extrovert and I love being around people. But believe it or not, I have always valued my time alone too. I love painting and making things, reading for hours, researching on the computer, reading blogs, organizing things, sewing, knitting and even laying on the couch watching a good movie. All of which, I enjoy doing alone.

I also enjoy being with Clover. I love laughing with her, dancing with her, taking her to story time, play dates, play groups, the pool, the zoo, playgrounds, etc. I feel like each adventure teaches her something new, and that is so important. I love to expose her to new things and surroundings, and best of all, I love watching and experiencing this with her.

The Great Balancing Act is that there are only 24 hours in each day, and at some point, I need to sleep. And occasionally I need to shower. And just once each day, I like to go to bathroom by myself.

So, I spend the days with Clover and the nights by myself. Sure, I can’t paint, read for hours, browse on the computer, watch a movie and sleep at least 6 hours all in one night. I’ve had to learn to make mental and physical lists of everything I want to do, for myself, and pick one each night.

Sometimes I get frustrated because I feel like the nights are only so long, and I want more alone time. However, I also don’t want to give up any of my time with Clover to do something else. I don’t want to miss out on any cute “new” things she does just because I want to read a good book. Most often, I struggle with wanting to do something for myself. I’ll paint at the dining room table while Clover watches Curious George and plays by herself in the living room. I know it’s good for her to play alone, but then I feel guilty after awhile, like I’m ignoring her.

Sure, I could get a babysitter and have a few hours alone. Honestly though, I would hate the feeling of someone else playing with her, laughing at her, experiencing things with her.

I’ve been trying to get in shape and have been walking at night. Sometimes I walk after Clover goes to bed, but I don’t like to walk in the dark, and I’ve increased my mileage, so it’s better if I walk after dinner when Dustin is home. I know it’s great for them to spend time together, and I am happy that they have that time. But each night when I’m out on a walk, I can’t help but think about how much fun they’re having during bath time. How I’m missing her cute little laughs as he struggles to brush her teeth. How cute and snuggly she looks in her pajamas. I want to be there too.

I wish I could hit pause on life so I could do it all. Hit pause right after dinner, go for a long walk, un-pause when I get home and not miss out on any of her nightly routine. Instead, I try to alternate days of short walks with Clover in the stroller, and nights of long walks when Dustin gets her ready for bed.

It’s hard, but she’s only this age once. I know years from now, I’ll be wishing to spend more time with her and less time alone. I know, God willing, that I will have plenty of time in my future to paint or read a good book. I am also positive that I will never be able to re-live this time with Clover.

The Great Balancing Act.

I think I’ll give Barnum & Bailey a call and see if they want to include me in their show.

July 06, 2010

We started off this year's Independence Day celebration with some red, white and blue paintings last Friday! Clover absolutely loves to paint and takes it very seriously. She usually starts off with the paint brush, and once she's more comfortable with the paint, she ends up using her hands! Here are some painting pictures:

The middle painting is hers too - we have already contacted Harvard.

(just kidding)

Since I have a very girly daughter, of course we had to have red and blue toenails!

On the 4th of July, we went up to a nice local park (where Dustin and I got married actually) and had a picnic dinner with our friends Matt and Jessika (and Hudson in Jessi's belly - she's due in 4 days!).

Not only were we celebrating America's birthday, but the day was also monumental for another reason... Clover tasted her first cupcake! This wasn't just her first cupcake. It was her first taste of dessert ever. I scraped the icing off the top and gave her a little piece of it (I didn't want to sugar overload her). Funny that she stuck it right in her mouth, no questions, but when I try to get her to try other foods...

Right after this last picture, she gave the piece of cupcake back to me and said "done!" The best of both world's - she tried her first "cake", didn't eat much, and gave it back to her Momma that didn't really want her to have it in the first place! That's my girl!

Last 4th of July Clover was only about 7 months old, so we skipped the fireworks...but this year we decided to take her to her first fireworks show! She's really shown some "fearless" tendencies (except for scary strangers), so I really wasn't worried that the fireworks would scare her... and I was right! She loved them! She clapped after almost every single one and said "ohh!"

If Independence Day was this fun, I can't wait until Christmas this year!

July 02, 2010

I was browsing through the Eco Logical Mom blog yesterday and saw a post that mentioned coconut water being really good for hydration. I had never heard of it before, so I did some google research and found some very interesting facts about it.

So, I decided to try it out. I’m really bad about not drinking enough water in the beginning of the day and then I get really thirsty at night (probably because I’m dehydrated), so I drink a bunch of water at night and then I have to get up to pee about 2 times in the middle of the night – annoying! I usually don’t start to really gulp down the water until around mid-afternoon when I start to feel crummy – again, probably because I’m dehydrated.

Anyway, on to the coconut water:

Regular, plain coconut water is…. GROSS!! Sounds like it might taste good, but no, it doesn’t. Too bad I bought a big thing of it… (I’ll use it in a smoothie or something)

However, they do make coconut water with different fruits added, and those are much, much better. I have tried peach and mango, and Acai and Pomegranate as well. The peach and mango is by far my favorite. The acai and pomegranate isn’t as bad as plain coconut water, but it isn’t that great tasting either. I’ll keep you posted on the other flavors.

Oh, and in case anyone is really interested, Kroger actually sells coconut water in their organic section. Thank you Kroger, you’re much closer (and probably cheaper) than Whole Foods!

July 01, 2010

One of my favorite book series when I was little was Jillian Jiggs. I originally fell in love with the books because my name is Jill (no, my real name is not Jillian), but then fell in love with them because they are cute little books.

Clover only has enough hair for two little pigtails, and they look OH so cute! The first time I put her hair in pigtails she reminded me of Jillian Jiggs!

Clover especially reminds me of Jillian Jiggs when they show her in one book as a toddler: